Practice question · Match the pairs
Match each repulsion pairing to its relative strength.
- Lone pair with lone pair
- Lone pair with bonding pair
- Bonding pair with bonding pair
- Two domains at 180 degrees
- Intermediate repulsion
- Repulsion already minimised
- Strongest repulsion
- Weakest repulsion
Hints
- A pair held by one nucleus spreads out more than one held by two.
- The more lone pairs involved, the stronger the push.
Show the answer
- Lone pair with lone pair → Strongest repulsion
- Lone pair with bonding pair → Intermediate repulsion
- Bonding pair with bonding pair → Weakest repulsion
- Two domains at 180 degrees → Repulsion already minimised
Why
Lone pairs are held by a single nucleus, spread wider and push hardest, so lone-lone > lone-bond > bond-bond. Two domains at are already as far apart as geometry allows.
Practise Molecular Geometry and Polarity
The app has 4 more questions on this lesson, and keeps your place in the course. Chemistry I is free to start.
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